The importance of being me
by Kitten The Kokeshi Doll
Summary: Rule Number One: Never EVER drink anything you left in Quinn's room. Rule Number Two: We'll invent it... if we live through this.
1. Chapter 1

A/n: I wrote this last night when I was really sleepy. I spell checked it, but anything I've missed is excusable.

Zoey groaned slightly. The fever was making her feel like slashing her wrists to end it. Chase shushed her.  
"It's ok Zo... it's ok." He whispered, placing a wet towel on her forehead.  
"You're sweet." She slurred. Chase smiled.  
"And you're hot... sheesh look at this thing." Chase glared at the thermometer. "Maybe you should go see Quinn? Just to take your temperature down..."  
"But..." Zoey reluctantly sat up. It was very painful.  
"No buts Zo..." Chase pulled her up where she swayed uneasily. The ache in her head made her feel so dizzy she felt standing almost impossible.  
"Come with me?" She pleaded. Chase nodded and grabbed his soda bottle. It was nice and cold. He pressed it against Zoey's stomach as they walked.

"Hey Quinn." Zoey croaked.  
"You don't look so good. Can I help?"  
"Well we were hoping you could bring her temperature down." Chase searched for somewhere to put his cold soda bottle. He placed it amongst Quinn's many many bottles. Some were full of blue goop that glooped ominously at him. But he placed his lemonade bottle besides the less dangerous looking clear fizzy liquids.  
"Possibly... Zoey stick out your tongue for me." Zoey stuck out her tongue. Quinn pulled her up and examined. "And cough." Zoey coughed ruggedly.  
"I think she has a chest infection. Which isn't helping the fever."

"So can we help?"  
"Plenty of bed rest... lots of fluids and... oh." Zoey fell to the bed again crying. The pain was too much for her to take.  
"It's too hot..." She complained. Chase grabbed his unlabelled Lemonade bottle and forced it into Zoey's mouth. She coughed and spluttered and protested a lot.  
"That tastes disgusting!" She breathed. Chase shook his head and raised the bottle to his own lips. It tasted a little off. It had probably gone flat.  
"Zoey it's fine drink it." Quinn looked nervous as Chase force fed Zoey the contents of the bottle. She grabbed the other clear bottle from the cabinet.  
"Chase..." She said slightly nervously. She dipped her finger in the bottle and sucked it very slightly. "Lemonade."

"So what did..."  
"It's a bug killer I've been working on..." Quinn said.  
"Bug killer!" Zoey writhed and cried out in anguish. She hated being sick.  
"It's not harmful to humans... I don't think."  
"You don't think?" Chase demanded.  
"I didn't feed her it..."  
"It won't help but..." Quinn shook her head as she handed Chase his lemonade. "Take her to bed." Chase reluctantly dragged Zoey up and down the corridor.  
"Why does she keep bug killer in a SODA bottle for freaks sake. That girl is just a little bit too..." Chase suddenly felt very sleepy.

He felt Zoey drop besides him, he didn't even bother to pick her up. He just fell down beside her and fell asleep.

----------------

Zoey raised her hands and rubbed her eyes. She couldn't remember how she'd got into bed, but she felt loads better. Her head hurt a little bit.  
"Hey sleepy head." Quinn said gently.  
"Hey..." She said but thought 'boy does my voice sound rough'  
"Zoey... please don't be alarmed." Quinn said.  
"Alarmed? Your bug stuff cured me!" She laughed hoarsely. She raised her hand to her throat. Maybe it was a side affect?  
"Maybe not." She heard a females voice say. She span around to see Zoey Brooks sat on the bed. Zoey screamed loudly.

But it came out as a yell.  
"Don't yell at me! My head hurts." Chase groaned raising Zoey's hand to Zoey's head.  
"YOUR HEAD HURTS? I THINK THAT'S MY HEAD!"  
"Zoey you're hysterical."  
"OF COURSE I'M HYSTERICAL!" Zoey cried. "WHERE'S THE MIRROR!" Quinn pointed to a mirror on the wall. Zoey ran to it. She gave out a cry as she saw two green eyes staring back at her. A head of curly black hair. And most definitely not herself.  
"What did you DO!" She turned on Quinn angrily.

Chase was confused and feeling ill. He watched as Zoey in his own body advanced on Quinn.  
"Zoey... leave her alone. This is my fault not hers."  
"You're the one who force fed us that stuff!" Zoey screamed. Chase furrowed Zoey's brow.  
"We have no proof it was the bug killer..." Quinn said sheepishly.  
"Oh yeah," Zoey said. Chase's voice wasn't usually heard with sarcasm mixed in and he found it so confusing. He wanted to faint. This was how bad Zoey felt? he reminded himself to be more sympathetic next time. "Coz stuff like this happens every day!"

"Don't yell at me!" Quinn yelled.  
"MAYBE I WANT TO YELL AT YOU!"  
"Wow Chase..." Laughed Dana. "I've never seen you yell before. I like it." She walked into Quinn's room without knocking. That's just Dana all over. "Hey Zo... you feeling better?" She raised her hand and Chase fliched away as her icy hand touched Zoey's head.  
"You're on fire!"  
"I know..." he groaned.  
"You'd better get a shower or something. You're sitting out of the game tonight."  
"You think?" Zoey said sarcastically.  
"Why are you so nasty today Chase?" Dana asked. "Zoey's sick and you're yelling... you're getting sarcastic. Next thing I know you're going to smash a beaker. Go on get lost."  
"What!" Zoey said in disbelief. Chase raised Zoey's hand and placed it on Dana's shoulder.  
"Dana it's ok. Quinn gave me some weird medicine... it made me throw up... Chase is just looking out for me."

"You make my girl sicker... either of you... and you are SO dead." Dana warned. She stood up and left.  
"Why did you lie?" Zoey demanded.  
"Because. If this weird body switch thing hadn't happened I would've yelled at Quinn. She made you pass out. I'd have yelled at myself too." Chase rubbed Zoey's head in frustration.  
"What're we going to do?"  
"Zo... please don't cy in my body. It makes me feel immasculated." Zoey growled at him. "Um... okay then... cry if you want. I'll be over here... sleeping."  
"Sorry I'm just really confused. I forgot you were ill." Zoey shook Chase's head and his hair wobbled. "Go to room 101 and sleep there ok." Chase found it difficult to walk because he was so dizzy with fever. Zoey found it difficult to walk because Chase's legs were a lot longer than hers.

"Night Zo..." Chase said as he pushed a stuffed teddy out of the way. Zoey picked it up and threw it onto Nicole's bed.  
"Night Chase..." She said hoarsely. "We won't tell anyone about this ok..."  
"Yeah like they'd believe me anyway." Zoey laughed. She quite liked Chase's laugh. But she hoped she wouldn't have time enough in Chase's body to let it grow on her. She switched off the light and exited the room.

"Chase, there you are... you're supposed to be on the court... move it!" Michael pushed Zoey down the corridors and into the changing rooms. Zoey sighed as she closed her eyes to avoid seeing anything Chase would've but she wouldn't. It was going to be a loooooooong... however long it was going to be

A/n: I know it's confusing. but bare with me I succeeded in confusing me too.


	2. Switch us back

A/n: It's not fair. England are miles behind in the Zoey series! I want no reviews saying Dana's leaving, coz I already know! I want no spoilers at all! Whatsoever. Anyone hints even the slightest and they die a horrible death.

Zoey's POV

Well done me. I somehow made it through the basketball game. I have no idea how I did it. I don't know his position and kept trying to play point guard. Dana yelled at me. Logan yelled at me. The crowd booed me. How lame do I feel? I think it's excusable though. I am ZOEY, not CHASE. Get it through your thick heads people!  
"Aww, it was close but you did it."  
"It wouldn't have been so close if a certain SOMEONE had pulled his weight out on the court!" Logan thumps Chase's shoulder heard and it hurts me... a lot. That boy does NOT know his own strength.  
"Ouch! Hey lay off I think I'm coming down with what Ch... Zoey has." I catch myself.

Dana raises her hand to my head.  
"Well you don't have a fever..." She says skeptically "How is she anyway?"  
"Sleeping last time I checked." I shrug. I haven't got the hang of Chase's body yet. He's kind of tall. It's weird because I suddenly realise Dana and Nicole should wear less revealing tops. From up here Chase seems almost perverted. Although he doesn't choose what the girls wear... I must remember that when I switch back, I have to buy a new wardrobe. If I switch back. I'm still determined this is all some weird hallucination I'm having as a direct result of my fever. I hit Chase's head hard, in a vague attempt to wake myself up from this weird dream. Ouch.

"What was that for... you freak." Dana furrows her brow at me. How dare she! I want to growl at her. But maybe that's the testosterone talking?  
"I just... I should've played better today." I dismiss it as something that a boy would worry about.  
"Had a certain someone on your mind?" Logan asks, his face softening. "She'll be ok.I'll bet it'sthe flu."  
"Who - Zoey?"  
"Of course Zoey..."  
"Yeah coz you're madly in love with more than one girl." Dana rolls her eyes.  
"I'm not madly in love with her..." Chase in 'love' with me? Nuh uh! He doesn't even have a crush on me!  
"Oh so you just... scrawl her name all over your notebook for nothing?" Nicole asks with a giggle.  
"You talk about her non stop, because you DON'T like her?" Logan complains  
"You smile every time you see her?" Giggles Nicole.  
"You never stop complimenting her... And you drool when she compliments you." Michael laughs.  
"Do not..." It's not possible. Chase likes me as a friend. And nothing more.

"Whatever you say, Chase, hit the showers." Logan orders.  
"Not in the changing rooms!" No way. I managed to make it through the changing rooms without seeing anything I didn't want to. (Nothing below the waist... although I must admit Logan has a really nice stomach and chest... shouldn't be looking.)  
"Well go up to the school then. What's with the sudden immasculine shyness?" Asks Michael.  
"Aww Chase is ashamed of his..." Snickers Logan.  
"SHUT UP!" I say suddenly. I do NOTwant to hear this.  
"He's so moody lately." Dana mutters as I stalk off. I am -so- not moody. I know I'm giving Chase a bad reputation. And I'll apologise for it later. But I'm so stressed.

Put yourself in my position! You're not well and are unwillingly fed something that tastes absolutely foul. The next thing you know you're unconscious (Although I dare say you don't KNOW you're unconscious...) and when you wake up you're in your best (male) friend's body! It isn't fun. Not only do I keep misjudging things (Like doorways) because of the disorientation. I keep calling 'Zoey' Chase. It's so confusing.  
"Hey Chase, feeling any better?" He looks a state. My hair is everywhere, my skin's all blotchy from sweat, he looks restless.  
"Zoey..." He croaks, sitting up.  
"I look awful..." I comment.  
"Sorry..." He mutters.

"I take it you're not feeling better?" I ask, closing the door.  
"The guys are getting suspicious..." I say, sitting on my bed beside Chase. I place his hand on my head. One of us is burning up, although I'm not sure which one. Ouch.  
"Well they would... wouldn't they..."  
"Apparently I'm not kind enough... do you think I'm mean?" I want an honest opinion.  
"Course not..." Do I really sound like that when I'm sick? I hand him a glass of cold water that I left on my bedside cabinet, although I don't think it's cold anymore.  
"What DO you think of me?" He may be biased.  
"You're smart... funny... kind... and really innocent." He lays back on the pillow exhaustedly. I look like... dead. Gross much. Did I mention how weird this feels.

"Why?"  
"It's just... well... um..." I push my hand through Chase's hair. Has he EVER heard of a brush? Sheesh! "Some people said... that you have a crush on me?"  
"Oh..." He trails off.  
"It's ridiculous right?" I ask slightly nervously. He'd better not fancy me. Because if he does... Ugh. I don't know. I guess I've never thought of him like that. Chase is my best friend. My big brother. Boyfriend? No way.  
"Completely..." He then starts coughing rather falsesly.  
"You have a crush on me - don't you?"  
"Look Zo..." He coughs nervously. "I'm... I'm in love with you... I can't help it." Love? Wow he actually used the L word of his own accord. Shotting him down is going to be so hard. And I feel so guilty.  
"Oh um..."  
"If you want..." he tries to sit up but I force him to lie down he needs his rest. "We can forget this ever came out in the open. You know... just ignore it. If it's easiest."  
"I think that's best. Night Chase..." I stand up. I tuck him/me in. I'm not sure which of us it is anymore.

"Get a goodnight's rest. And we'll see if we can get me back to school tomorrow..." I assure him.  
"Oh yeah make me learn on top of it all." He groans. He does sound sick. Am I this pathetic when I'm ill? Sheesh.  
"That way we can help each other. You sitting curled up in my bed all day is not hard. Me pretending I'm you is harder..."  
"Okay." He sighs. "I guess you're right. I'll..." He yawns and nods. He's pretty much asleep. Dana and Nicole walked in.

"I told you..." Nicole says in singsong. "I told you that he had a crush on you Zo. He never leaves your side... even when you're all sick and gross and sweaty and stuff."  
"Um..." I say awkwardly.I feel Chase's cheeks turn scarlet. Even though the situation is reversed, it's difficult to believe thatI hadn't seen Chase had a crush on me before. "I think I'm gonna leave."  
"Don't let common sense hit you on the way out." Dana says sarcastically. She is so mean to Chase... 'Well,' I think. 'It's his own fault for being such a walk over.'

---------------------

He's up and walking the next morning. He's very sluggish and seems tired.  
"Sleep ok?"  
"Oh yeah sure because you sleep perfectly when you're waking up every five minutes to throw up! And you're dying of a fever." He snaps at me.  
"Sorry..."  
"Nah I'm sorry. You've been there done it. I'm just stressed. I don't get sick." We head to Quinn's room. We agreed to go see if she's worked on a cure yet.

"Well... It seems to me that when you forced Zoey to drink the bug killer, she transfered her DNA to the bottle. This DNA was fed and multiplied rapidly as a result of the bug killer. When you drank from it you drank her growing DNA. Which changed you into Zoey. Zoey drank from the bottle after you aswell. So the same thing happened to her."  
"So we didn't switch bodies?"  
"We changed them?"  
"Exactly." Quinn nods. I groan slightly.  
"So... how do we fix it?" Chase asks, supporting my small frame on Quinn's bed.

"Well in theory, anything that would transfer DNA should work..."  
"We're not going to have to do anything that could you know... get me pregnant are we?" I ask a little nervously. I'm only 13!  
"No..." Quinn says shaking her head.  
"We're not going to do anything that could end up getting ME pregnant?" Chase seems frightened. I giggle at him. Boys shouldn't giggle. It just sounds wrong... totally.  
"No." She furrows her brow. "I'll leave you two to work it out for yourselves." She abandons us. She flew us out to some strange deserted island... and abandons us.

Just like that. She leads us up the cliff and pushes us off of it! How lame is she!  
"I have an idea..." Chase says awkwardly.  
"Care to share?" I sit down besides him. He twiddles my fingers on my lap. He's not wearing yesterday's clothes, which mean he changed. Which mean he saw me either in my underwear or nothing at all. I'm just wearing yesterday's clothes with some other stuff on top. It's ok though because he's a boy. He doesn't take care of himself in the feminine manner. He can go days without showering. Girls can't. Shudder... I don't want him seeing me in the shower!  
"You won't like it..." He says nervously.  
"Try me?"  
"Well there's DNA in saliva right?"  
"Right..." I see where this is going.

"Then maybe we should kiss each other?" I can tell how nervous he is. Bless him. It's kinda cute. Creepy... but cute.  
"Technically..." I say, finding a loophole. "We wouldn't be kissing each other... we'd be kissing ourselves."  
"Exactly..." He nods my head vigorously, splaying my unbrushed hair all over the place.  
"It's worth a shot I guess..." I stare deep into my eyes. I love my eyes. I just realised. He stares back at me, into his own eyes. He raises his hand to my face cautiously. I lean in...

A/n: A bit of a cliffy but :-D RnR


	3. Couples

It's weird. Incredibly. He raises my hand to touch his cheek. Instead of me staring into his deep emerald green eyes like I should be: I'm staring at myself. It's like kissing a mirror! I lean forward and our lips touch for only a split second. I jump back, turning Chase's cheeks scarlet. He turns a fantastic shade of crimson too.  
"Well..." I say eventually, trying to break the silence. "That didn't work."  
"It didn't did it..." He laughs nervously. Then he starts coughing. Awww. How sick does that look.  
"Maybe you should go back to bed."  
"No..." Macho pride. "We're here for each other right... thick and thin."  
"I vaguely remember thin." I sigh. I help him up and almost carry him downstairs. (Chase is stronger than I give him credit for. I'm starting to get used to these things that pass for muscles.)

"You look..." Dana starts. She takes another look. "Get to bed."  
"I'm fine... Mom." Chase grumbles. He manages to sit himself down.  
"You stink of puke..." Michael comments. Chase runs my fingers through my hair. I watch in slight disgust. He does look awful.  
"Yeah well... you try being this sick." He mutters, tugging clumps of my stuck together hair behind his ears.  
"Are you two ok?" Asks Quinn.  
"Yes Quinn..." I say hurriedly. "We're fine."  
"Why would Chase not be ok?" Queries Nicole. God I've never wanted her to shut up more than I have in my entire life.  
"They..." Starts Quinn.

"Finally got together." I say hurriedly. He looks at me in shock. I didn't know my eyebrows could go that high. I mouth 'play along' He nods.  
"OOOOHHHH" Squeals Nicole.  
"Dude, uncool. You said I'd be the first to know." Michael whines.  
"Who told who?" Dana asks curiously. I'm beginning to doubt the longevity of this lie now. When and if we ever switch back, we're going to have to break up.  
"Chase..." He starts but his croakiness kills off his starting sentence. Nicole hands him juice which he gratefully accepts. "Chase told me." I hold up my hands in a typical Chase manner.  
"I confess... I did do the telling." Chase smiles slightly. He's proud that I pinned him.

"You owe me five bucks." Logan says triumphantly. Michael grumbles and hands over money.  
"Hey!" Nicole says.  
"Logan give him back his money." Dana says, slightly annoyed that Logan is betting on us. I'm a little peeved too.  
"I won the bet fair and square."  
"Hey Zo..." For some weird reason Dustin comes up and wraps his arms around what he thinks is his big sister. Awww... He wants something.  
"Hey Kiddo." I say  
"Hi Chase! Hey Zoey..." He whines. I think he wants cash. "Have you ever been in love?"

"Not... really. I don't think. I've hada few crushes. Why..." Chase is frightened. He doesn't want to do a sibling talk with Dustin. I can't blame him. he's not his brother.  
"How do you tell when it's a crush or love?" Dustin asks curiously.  
"I'm in love. I'll tell you." Logan raises his hand.  
"What?" I ask skeptically. Logan giving my baby brother love advice. No thank you.  
"Hey... Dustin's like a little brother to me, right man?"  
"Sure..." Dustin sits between me and Chase. I shoot him a strange glance. He shrugs.  
"When you see her... um... assuming it's a her."  
"Duh! Gross!" Dustin pulls a funny face. I want him to pay sisterly attention to me. Not looking too good when I'm a 14 year old boy...

"Okay... well when you see her... does your heart from go Dum... Dum." He pats his chest in rhythm. "To Dumdumdumdumdumdumdum." He continues to smack his hand down over his heart. Dustin nods. "When you talk to her do you find yourself insulting her to cover up for the sudden shyness,"  
"Kinda..." He admits. I shoot him a mean glance.He looks slightly afraid and hastily adds "But I do apologise!"  
"Ah, the apology isn't my best part. Okay. When she smiles does it feel like that's the most valuable thing in the world. Does her laugh make you feel like there is a god and there's a reason you were put on this earth?"  
"Definitely." Dustin nods his head vigorously.

"Do you feel like if she just talks to you... that you'll be able to fly. That her voice gives you wings and you could touch the sky..."  
"Yeah..." Dustin whispers in slight shock.  
"And that if she'd just kiss you... then there'd be no desire whatsoever to go to heaven anymore because you'd already be there..."  
"Yes!"  
"And then..." Logan sighs. "She stamps on your foot and leaves you stranded." Dana gasps slightly. Her eyes widened. I know what's going on here, and so does she.  
"That was so romantic!" Nicole cries.  
"Totally... apart from... the stepping on the foot thing." Michael trails off.  
"Yeah well, little dude you're in love. I say go for it. Make her yours." He stands up and ruffles Dustins hair. He makes to leave. I kick Dana under the table. She glowers.  
"I know, I know." She complains, she stands up and runs after him.

"Logan..." She says, slightly out of breath, catching up to him.  
"Yeah?"  
"What you said back there..." She trails off.  
"Just humoring the kid." He shrugs. Dana leans against the wall, trying to regain her dignity.  
"So it didn't... mean anything."  
"Oh I meant it. Every word of it. There's just no point in my tagging along after you like a lost puppy for the rest of my life now is there?" He crosses his arms.  
"Maybe..." Dana says slightly nervously. "Maybe I like you tagging along after me like a lost puppy." He steps closer to her.  
"Maybe I don't like playing second string." Logan pushes a stray curl out of his eyes. He steps even closer.  
"Maybe I like the attention."  
"Maybe I want to kiss you..." He whispers. Dana shudders at his touch as his hands find hers on the wall. He pushes her closer to the wall slightly.  
"Maybe I kind of want you to kiss me. But kinda don't."  
"Ambivalency is an issue, that can only be solved by having the answer forced upon you."  
"Wow you pay attention in English." Dana sounds impressed.  
"I also pay attention in French." He whispers flirtatiously in her ear. Frenchkissing.

His lips were upon hers. His tongue swept along her bottom lip hungrily. She refused to deepen the kiss. He had to wait for it. He raised their interlocked hands so he had her pinned against the wall. She surprised herself when she let out a moan of longing. She wanted to french kiss him so badly. But would he appreciate it? Or would she be another name in the little black book?  
"Logan... stop..." She whispers. He pulls back and stares at her for a moment. She avoids his eye. He still has her pinned and she feels unneccessarily trapped.  
"What you said was sweet..." She starts.  
"But..."  
"There is no but..." Dana says in confusion.  
"There's always a but with you Dana." He lets her go. "I'm sick of it." He stalks off in a mood.

Next I have health class. This should be fun. Not. I'm going to be trapped between Nicole, Danaand Logan. 'Zoey' aka 'Chase-in-my-body' is not in my class. He's with Michael in my Social studies class. I take my seat. I sense hostility between Logan and Dana.  
"What did I miss?" I ask Dana. She huffs and turns to Nicole, they instantly begin gossiping. Since when was I kicked out of the loop! Oh yeah. DUH ZOEY! I'm in Logan's loop now.  
"What's going on?"  
"That stupid... UGH!" He slams his head into the desk.  
"Well... it's not the desk's fault." I say Chase-ishly.

"I blew it. I had my chance and I blew it." Dana whispers to Nicole.  
"You so didn't blow it..." Nicole whispers consolingly.  
"I did... He kissed me and I said no..." Nicole pauses for a minute, listening to what Dana said with half a concentration span.  
"He's a good kisser though?" She asks. Trust her, she's so shallow.  
"Ugh..." She sighs. "The greatest. Stupid Logan." She complains.  
"You kissed Dana?" I whisper to Logan.  
"Yeah... and she lead me on the love boat then pushed me off it. I can't swim anymore."  
"Your metaphors confuse me."  
"You usually get them." He mutters angrily. He starts scrawling Dana's name into his desk.

I open Chase's class book. The first page is full of Hearts, in them sayings like: 'Zoey is hot. Zoey is cute. Zoey is amazing. Zoey is gorgeous. I love Zoey. CnZ 4eva. Chase n Zoey. Mrs Zoey Matthews. CBM+ZB 4 life. I love Zoey I love Zoey I love Zoey Brooks. Zoey holds the key to my heart. Zoey, Zoey, Zoey...'

Wow. He really does like me... But I am him. So do I like Zoey... who is me, but also Chase. I'm confused. Well done Zo...


	4. Talking

A/n: Okay. Not much to say. DITR and BB are in the works, other than that enjoy TIOBM

Chapter

"Hey."  
"Hey." I collapse onto the bed beside him. His blonde hair is in knots. He looks exhausted.  
"You have homework." He yawns. Aww bless. He looks so tired... He hands me my social studies project. I pass him his health book.  
"You too." He seems calm for a moment then opens his book to the little Zoey shrine on the front cover. He blushes furiously. I've never seen myself look this flustered.  
"Um... I'm... I'm sorry ok."  
"S'ok. I found it flattering." I blush. I found it embarassing, and confusion-onsetting. I'm starting to have doubts as to how I see Chase. Is he my best friend? Is he a potential crush? Would I date him? Is he... he's me. "Do you write that in all your books?" I ask curiously. I want to find out as much as I can about this little infatuation he has on me...

But only because I want to know. Not because I'm considering him as a partner! Just so you know.  
"Only the lessons that I don't share with you."  
"Why?"  
"Because you never pay attention in class and always borrow my notes. It wouldn't have been clever for me to hand you a sheet accidentally declaring a crush on you would it."  
"Oh yeah. I'm so... blonde sometimes."  
"You're not a blonde anymore." he quips. I shrug.  
"You've let my hair down Chase..." I shake my head as I reach forward and play with a strand of my own hair. It's all stuck together, partially with vomit partially with grease. His skin has lost my sheen, he's not been wearing my make up. I look AWFUL.

The fact is. He's going to have to shower at some point. I sorted that problem out easily enough for me. There's not too much lust appeal about Chase in his swimming trunks. (And I got into them by locking the bathroom door and turning off all the lights, I now kmow it's true - boys can dress in the dark.)

Girls can't. He's going to have to shower in my bikini. When I raise the issue with him his immediate response is:  
"No!"  
"Chase! You can't go round looking like that." I sigh and shake my head again. He shakes his head.  
"Zoey look..." He pauses for what seems like forever. I know he's having difficulty saying whatever he's trying to say. "I love you..." He breathes. "And I don't think I would trust myself. I would never intentionally upset you... but. I would not trust myself in that situation. I'm a 14 year old boy..."  
"How about I stay with you..."  
"In the shower?" He asks skeptically.  
"Yeah, it's what girls do. They sit and they talk to each other." I cross to the girls drawers, finding my bikini.

So... after a very difficult dressing session in the dark, we manage to get Chase in the shower. I can see he's uncomfortable, and I feel bad for him. But... I'm gonna make him feel worse.  
"Chase... how long have you had a crush on me?" I ask over the noise of the shower.  
"Why d'you care?" He asks.  
"I'm just curious." I say in my 'I'm-so-innocent' voice. That voice is the voice that could fool the angels... but not Dana Cruz. She always sees through it. That girl has a seventh sense I swear. (Stupid Speilberg, copyrighting the sixth)

"You know what they say about curiousity."  
"It killed the cat right? Well, I say if the cat's dumb enough to experiment with sleeping under the car... it deserves to die. Now. Spill..." Confused by my cat theory, Chase hesitates.  
"Day one, ya happy." He's blushing slightly. "Pass me the shampoo."  
"Day one, you mean my first day at PCA?"  
"Yes... are you going to pass me the shampoo or not?" I can tell he wants to avoid the situation.  
"Is that why you crashed your bike?" I ask. I just remember, on my first day at school he crashed his bike into a lamp post... no. It was a flagpole. Either way he crashed his bike ok. He gives an angry tut and stalks out of the shower to get the shampoo which is on the shelf behind me. "That's a yes then."

"It's a yes now shut up ok Zoey! I have a crush on you ok... big joke ha ha now shut up about it!" Chase doesn't yell at people. He just... DOESN'T. I feel my eyes start to tear up.  
"I was only asking." I whisper. He's hurt me. How dare he hurt me! I'm not sure whether I'm angry or upset. I can't believed he yelled at me.  
"Aww Zo... I'm sorry! I... I didn't... I don't want... Sorry!" He comes over and even though he's sopping wet and wearing a bikini he hugs me. I really don't want to cry. I'm not upset about him yelling anymore. he's apologised for that. I'm upset about the fact that I care. Chase is my... best friend. My Big Brother. And I think I may be starting to have a teeny bit of a crush on him? That can't be good. If I have a crush on him in my body... does that make me a lesbian? I'm confused.

"And I was... OH MY... GOD!" Nicole screams and slams the door. Chase springs apart from me.  
"What happened?"  
"The scene that just happened, Nicole misunderstood." Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no! I am SO gonna get it from... oh no I won't. Chase'll get it from dana and Nicole. I'll get a pat on the back and a high five from Logan and Michael respectively.  
"She thinks we were..."  
"Doing... IT." Oh god!

-----------------------

"And they were there... and ugh. She was wearing like only her underwear and I swear to god..."  
"ENOUGH!" I yell. I slam my fist down at the table. "I am going to say this once and only once. Nicole you got the wrong end of the stick and I am NOT going to explain it to you." They've never seen Chase that mad. Chase places my hand on his arm lightly.  
"Calm down..." He whispers.  
"That's how rumors are spread though." I pout. He nods and blows a clean strand of blonde hair from his eyes. I fixed his make up for him, and he looks a million times better.  
"I know... but you don't need to get angry..." He whispers in his softest 'calm-down-Zo-or-someone's-gonna-punch-you'  
"Awww... you two are so cute together." Says Logan in a sickly sweet voice. "You're gonna make me throw up."

"Shut up." This is my excuse to flirt with Chase, to see how it feels, to test the waters, and not have it mean anything. I knew there was a reason I invented this lie. "Just because you can't get a girlfriend, doens't mean you can rag on me and Zoey..."  
"Hey! FYI, I could have any girl in this school!" He snaps.  
"Apart... from Dana." Michael smirks.  
"Why I oughta..." Logan stands up, knocking his chair over, ready to punch Michael's lights out.  
"Logan!" Dana says strictly. "Leave him alone..." She says very softly. He grumbles about it, but gets back into his seat and stares at his dinner tray angrily.  
"Fine."

"She's got you whipped..."  
"Michael! One more word and I'LL kick your teeth in, ok." Dana says in her 'I'm-not-that-innocent' voice. Michael shrugs.  
"Just saying."  
"I feel left out." Says Nicole suddenly. "Everyone's a couple apart from us Michael."  
"Um... yeah... about that... I gotta go... take a shower." Michael fled the table in fear. Nicole looked confused.  
"We're not a couple." Dana mumbles.  
"Well you're as good as." Nicole huffs. "Zoey don't you have any cute guyfriends you can hook me up with."  
"Um..." Chase pauses. "None as cute as Chase." He then says with a small smile at me. I give him a coy wink.

"You two really are gross." Dana huffs.  
"For once we're in agreement about something." Logan says, taking a large bite of his cheeseburger. Dana says nothing. I can see right through her. In her eyes. She wants to grab him and kiss him... or hit him. She's furious with herself for pushing him away. And she's upset too, though... she'd never say it. She's tough as houses.  
"Can't you two just kiss and make up?" Chase asks.  
"Can't you two just kiss and shut up?" Suggests Logan. I shrug. I lean across and he pulls back. His eyes are saying 'What are you doing?' I roll my eyes. I want to kiss him. Properly. But evidently he doesn't want to kiss me. Now I feel stupid.  
"Fine then suit yourself." I turn away from him.  
"You just shocked me is all." He takes my hand and leans forward and kisses me. It's only soft and very chaste. Probably more like a siblings kiss, but it's nice.

I smile at him, he smiles at me. I have my lip gloss on Chase's mouth now. Hm... it tastes good. Weird.  
"Come on loverboy..." Chase says standing up, he blushing so furiously, I think he'll probably burst one of my veins. "Nicole you too, we'll leave these two to duke it out." I stand up and Nicole gives Chase a  
'Do I have to' glance. Dana gives Chase a  
'Please don't make me!' and Logan gives a  
'great, now I get yelled at' to the whole table. I pull Nicole up amd the three of us walk away.

"You're a good kisser." I mumble to him. Admittedly, it wasn't like he frenched me... but it felt right.  
"I didn't kiss you properly. It's an act remember." He hisses. he's mad at me. I just remembered I'm mad at Nicole. I'll be mad at her later. When I'm less... in love? Oh god I'm in love with my best friend. How dopey am I! It is like the code, the unwritten rule. You do not fall for your best friend.

"You mad at me?" Dana asked eventually. Logan said nothing. He just looked at her. She sighed and stood up. "If you're not going to talk to my I might as well leave."  
"That's you all over. When things happen, when things start to change... you up and walk away." She sat back down, smirking.  
"See, now we're getting somewhere. I was scared ok."  
"Dana Cruz was scared oh wow. Stop the press."  
"You're always so sarcastic." She rolled her eyes. He nodded.

"So what are we?" He asked eventually.  
"I dunno. I want to be your girlfriend..."  
"But..." he sighed. He knew there was always a but with Dana.  
"But... I want to be your only girlfriend." She shrugged. "I don't want to be on a date with you Saturday and Sunday hear some other girl saying how great a kisser you are." He paused.  
"You think I'm a great kisser?"  
"Of course." She said sweetly. "You're Logan Reese."  
"If I promise, you'll be the only girl I date..."  
"And the only girl you kiss, make eyes at or even think about."  
"That too... then you'll go with me?"  
"Yes." There was a very long pause.

Logan was contemplating the horros of life with only seeing one girl. Dana was awaiting an answer.  
"Ok then." He nodded. "It'll be tough but... yeah." Dana smiled.  
"Catch you later then."  
"Hey don't I get a goodbye kiss?" He pouted.  
"Not when you have spaghetti in your teeth." Dana looked at him disdainfully and left. Logan grabbed his sp00n and began using it as a mirror to inspect his teeth.

After icing Nicole... I'm still mad at her for saying that Chase and I were doing IT, Chase and I retire to 101.  
"Why'd you go to kiss me earlier?"  
"Putting on an act... remember." Ok - now I'm mad at him? And they say girls have over active hormones! Since I've been Chase it's like I'm on a roller coaster. Being a boy is so lame.  
"Yeah but... I mean... nevermind."  
"Look... we need to talk."  
"Oh no..." he whines. "I hate that, those four words... Nothing good ever comes from those four words."  
"Fine then!" I growl.  
"Oh come on Zo... I was..." SLAM.

I don't know why I'm getting so mad.

A/n: Please review? Please? If you have time hit my profile page. This isn't my best story. The Opposites is.


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